Indicator for taxicabs.



H. P. ALLIN.

INDICATOR FOR TAXICABS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 15. 1912. RENEWED APR. 14.1915.

PatentedJune 8, 1915.

THE NORRIS PETERS C0,. PHOTC-LITHQ. WASHINGTON. B4 c.

U ITED STATES PATEN T oFnioE.

HENRY rmmr A 'L IN, or CAMBRIDGE, ENGLAND.

INDICATOR FOR TAXIGABS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 8 19 15.

7 Application filed June 15,1912, Serial No. 703,864. Renewed A iim, 115. Serial No. 21,460.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that, I, HENRY PHILIP ALLIN, asubject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Cambridge, England,have invented a certain new and useful Indicator for Taxicabs, of whichthe following'is a specificationpf v The primary object of the inventionis to provide. a conspicuous signal to indicate when public vehicles,such as taxicabs, are

for hire, a r V p Another object is to make the evidence. of vacancy ofthe vehicle readily dist nguishable at night by means of asuitableillumistands in the position shown in full lines in natedsignal.

Another ObJGCl) is to control the illumination of the signal so that itneed be illuminated only when the signal is in the active or for hire?position.

. The accompanying drawing shows repre sentative COIlStIUQtlOIlSJIlwhich my 1nven-- tion is embodied, but it is to be understood that theinvention is capable of embodiment in different forms.

Figure 1 shows my signalingdevicein ,thisinstance arranged upon the roofof-a taxicab,'a portion of which is shown n a representative way, also arepresentative form of taximeter and-connections and an electric switch.Fig. 2 is a frontview of the signal. Fig. 3 is apart sectional sideelevation of a modified form of the signal or indicator. Fig.4 is anenlarged view of a modified form in which two shutters may be employed.

Reference character 1 designates the body of the signal which maybe,when it is de-' sired to provide illumination, any suitable I form oflight inclosure, as shown. In the front of the body is an apertureclosed by a glass slide 2 bearing the legend For hlre,

or other suitable words for the purpose intended. Across the front ofthe body is journaled a shaft3 carrying shutter 4 and the shaft is alsoprovided with an arm 5 for the operation of the shutter. A spring catedusually near the driver, and this is provided with the usual indicatoror flag the shutter arm 5 by any suitable mechanism, conveniently aflexible cord 13 running over suitably placed pulleys 14, and in somecases if desired a rigid link or rod 15 shown. a

. may be employed.in the connecting line, as

Withinthe body .1 is usually provided an I electric bulb20 and thecircuit of this ele? ment is controlled by a suitable switch 21 havingan arm 22 connected with link 15.

VheIi the vehicle is for hire, the 'flag 11 Fig. 1. Arm 12 of theflag-shaft holds down link 15, keeping the switch-arm 22 in contactposition, so that lamp 20 is lighted. The arm 12 also holdscord 13. sothat shutter 4 is maintained in its raised or opened position, as shownin'fulllines, and the for hire signal illuminated by the lamp is plainlyvisible to all passers. When the vehicle is 1 engaged, the operatorthrows down the flag. By arm 12 the link 15 is pushed up, throwing theswitch-arm 22 to on" position and extinguishing the lamp, and at thesame time the pulley or cord 13 is relaxed and spring 6 closes shutter 4obscuring completely the for hire sign. 7

In Fig. 3 is shown an arrangement in which the shutter is carried withinthe body of the signal. ,In this form of the invention, the shutter mayconsist of a glass slide 30 operated by the arm 30 and the for hiremotto in this case is carried by the slide 30. The front aperture of thesignal body is closed by a plain glass window 32. In this case the partsare arranged so that when the taximeter flag is put down, [showing thatthe vehicle is for hire, the'slide 30 is allowed to drop by the relaxingof cord 13 and the legend is thus'brought in front of the lamp behindthe window 32. When the vehicle is engaged and the flag is thrown up,theslide is raised as shown in Fig. 3 and the lamp is extinguished. v I

Fig. 4 shows a modification in which both sides of the body 1, lookingboth toward the front and rear may be provided withsuitaably markedslides or panels 2 andin this case a shutter 50 having a'suitable arm 51is provided for each of the openings. The

mg a lever for rendering the meter operative and inoperative, a lampbody placed on an exposed part of a vehicle,- a'lamp therein, atransparent slide bearing a legend and .located at one side-of the lambody-fonillw mination by'the'lamp, a sli disclosing the slide, and aconnection be tween the shutter and the taxirneter.

2. Asignal for cabs and the like, comprising in combination a taximeterincluding a lever for rendering themeter operative and inoperative, alamp body placed on an ex posed part of a Vehicle, a lamptherein', atransparent slide bearing a legend and located at'one side of the lampbodyfor illumination by the lamp, a shutter movably carried by the lampbody forobscuringand disclosing the slide, aconnection between theshutter and the taximeter, and means b which movement of the taximeterlevercauses said lamp to be lighted when the shutter is raised todisclose the slide and exutter movably carried by the lamp body forobscuringand tinguished when the shutter is lowered to conceal the.slide.

3. Azsignal for cabs and the like comprising in combination a taximeterhaving an operatinglever, alamp body, a transparent slide thereinbearing a legend, a pivoted shutter adapted to disclose or conceal theslide, an arm carried by the shutter, a cord or thevlike connecting saidarm with said taximeter lever, and an incandescent lamp withinthe la mpbody 'for illnminatingthe slide.

4. A signal for cabs and the like comprising in combination a taximeter'having an operating lever, alamp body, atransparent slide thereinbearing a legend, apivoted shutter adapted to disclose or conceal theslide, an'arm'carried by the shutter, a cord or the like connecting saidarm with'said taxirneter lever, an incandescent lamp with inthe lampbodyfor illuminating the slide, an electric switch incircnit with-the lampand a connection between saidiswitclr and said cord whereby'the lamp islighted when the shntteris raised and extinguished when the shutter islowered;

HENRY PHILIP ALIJIN.

Vitnesses:

A. G. Cooxnnson, B. E. Vwm.

Goplel of this patcat may be obtaincd forflve cents each? by-adbusinptheOmnluloncr ofl'ahflu Washington, DAB."

